Toy roundabout



Aug. 21, 1928.

H. M. REINER TOY ,ROUNDABOUT Filed Dec. 14, 1926 avwamtoz' Patented Aug.21, 1928.

HAB IRY M. REINEB, BRONX, NEW YORK.

TOY ROUNDABOUT.

Application filed December 14, 1926. Serial Ho..154,661.

The present invention relates to an improved means 'for obtaining therotation of objects and figures and is particularly adapted forapplication in connection with toy merry-go-rounds and similarapparatus.

In the toy merry-go-rounds which have been. hitherto employed utilizinga spring motor as the driving means, the rotating objects have beendirectly coupled to the driving mechanism. Difliculty has beenexperienced with this type of apparatus owing to the fact that thespring motor when released winds down rapidly and causes very rapidrotation of the objects orfigures which only exists for a short time. 7

In order to overcome the defects of the prior construction, I haveprovided an apparatus in which the action of the driving mechanism isperiodically arrested for short intervals of time, resulting in a devicein which the driving mechanism imparts a series of impulses at certaintime intervals to the objects driven, the connection between the drivingmechanism and driven elements being such as to result in a continuousrotation of said elements, although one necessarily fluctuating to someextent in speed.

The specific character of the invention and its novel features will bemore readily apparent from the following description when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which: V

Figure 1 is an elevational view of an apparatus constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a detail thereof; i

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a further detail thereof; and

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicatelike parts throughout the several views, the invention is embodied in atoy comprising a container, 10, which serves both as a base and as ahousing for the driving mechanism. In its preferred form, the drivingmechanism includes a plate, 11, having notches or teeth, 12, on itsperiphery and located within the container. A slot, 13, is provided inthe side of the container to permit access to the interior whereby theoperator may rotate the late to wind up the driving mechanism. Thenotches enable the operator to get a good operative engagement on theedge of the plate 11, with hlS finger tip. Within the conteeth of theplate, 11, to

tainer also and rigidly associated with the plate, 1 1, there is ahollow drum, 14, within which 18 disposed a spiral spring, 15. Theouterend of the spiral spring is attached to the interior of the drumand the inner end to theshaft, 16, which carries a gear, 17,, mesh ngwith a pinion, 18, on the shaft,

A wire, 20, or similar .means is also provided, the wire beingstationarily mounted with n the container and having a hooked end whichcooperates with the notches or rmit it to be rotated in one direction011i a The shaft, 19, projects upwardly through thetop of the containerand serves as the axis around which the merry-go-round table 21,rotates. The table is rigidly attached to a tube, 22., looselyencircling the shaft, 19, so that both the tube and the table are freeto rotate on said shaft. The upper .end of the tube terminates in aflange, 23, having ratchet teeth, 24, on its upper face. Rotation isimparted to the tube and table by reason of the eng gement of a pawl,25, wit-h the .ratchethteeth, 24. This pawl is preferabl in the form ofa hooksecuredto the 811 f a wlre, "26,-'W;l1i.Ch extends through aflange member, 27, on shaft, 19. Horses, 28, or other figures aresecured to the ends of arms, 29, which radiate from a hub, .30, securedto the exterior of the tube 22. v

From the description thus far, it will be noted that when the operatorrotates the plate, .11., while holding'zthe shaft, 19, stationary andpreventing its rotation (which due to the pawl and ratchet engagement ofthel tube, 22, and the shaft, 19, can convemently be done by holding oneof the horses) the spiral spring is wound up; When the operator releasesthe toy, the energy stored in the spring serves to rotate the shaft, 19,and consequently the horses and merrygo-round table, by reason of theoperative connection between the shaft, 19, and tube, 22, through thepawl and ratchet.

This unwinding of the spiral spring is very rapid and unless someretarding means were employed the toy will be very quickly wound downand the rotation of the horses and table would be so rapid as to createa blur to the vision of a spectator and would also last only for a verybrief interval of time. To overcome these difficulties, I provide by myinvention, a mechanism for intermittently checking the rotation of theshaft, 19, and consequently unwinding of speed.

spread arms, 31, secured to the shaft, 19, anch adapted to rotatetherewith. From the free ends of the arms are suspended as by strings,232, weighted members such as balls, 33. Vhen the shaft, 19, is rotatedthe balls are thrown outwardly under the action of centrifugal force"and the strings or cords, 32, are wound upon stanchions, 34, thuschecking rotation of the shaft, 19, and release of the spring. Thischecking is only for a short time, however, as the strings or cordsquickly unwind and releasev the shaft, 19, and

" spring so that the spring again rotates the shaft,- 19, until thestrings strike the stanehions againand wind up on them.

By reason of the abovedescribed construe tion, a series of impulses aredelivered to the table and horses which, beingadapted to freely rotateabout shaft, 19, are continuously rotated although with a somewhatvariable This rotation is, however, relatively slow and endures for aconsiderable length of time andthus the undesirable effects obtainedbycoupling the table and horses directly to the springare eliminated;

On the top of the shaft,-19,I prefer to dispose a doll or other figure,35, the doll being supported b a stand, 36, or the like. This doll isemp oyed to augment the pleasing appearance of the toy and rotatesintermittently with the shaft, 19. I 'also prefer to employ another setof rotating figures, such as balls, 37, carried on'the ends of arms, 38,radiating from a sleeve, 39, which is also loosely mounted on shaft, 19.This sleeve also has a flange, 40, with ratchet teeth, 41,

which are engaged by a pawl42, carried by a flange, 43, attached to theshaft, 19. The intermittent rotation of the shaft, 19, is transmittedthrough the pawl and ratchet, thereby to impart a continuous rotation tothe balls, 37, in a manner similar to that obtained for the table andhorses.

I may also employ in my improved apparatus another ball, 44, on shaft,19, with projecting arms, 45, on the ends of which balls 46, may bedisposed. These members also rotate intermittently with the shaft, 19,and further add to the pleasing appearance of the toy.

Of course, it will be understood that many of the elements shown may beomitted and many more added, if desired, and that the various figuresare gayly colored so that when the toy is in action a very attractiveapparatus is produced.

Many modifications and changes may be made in the apparatus shownwithout departing from the invention and I desire to be limited only bythe state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claim.

\Vhat I claim is: i

Ina toy roundabout, a container forming a base, a spring motor withinthe container, a shaft projecting upwardly from the container andoperatively connected to the spring motor to be driven thereby,stanchions fastened to the container and pro-1 jeeting upwardlytherefrom and having their ends cooperating to form a journal for theshaft, arms associated with the shaft, weighted members, cordssuspending said weighted members from the ends of said arms, saidstanehions being positioned in the paths of said cords when the weightedmembers are thrown centrifugally, a tube surrounding the shaft looselyabove said container, a pawl and ratchet connection between said tubeand shaft, and members rotated by and with name to this specification.

HARRY M. REINER.

